1. Know who’s attending. Identify your audience. It is important to ensure the materials you will have are appropriate and useful for those attending.

2. Know how many are attending. You don’t want to go through the trouble of packing enough materials for 3,000 for a crowd of 300. Conversely, you don’t want to run out of anything before the expo is over.

3. Don’t procrastinate. Especially if the expo takes place outside of the country—as some of ours do— you need to have your materials ready well in advance. Do not only consider the time it will take them to arrive at the destination but also know that it could take some time to get them through customs. Depending on the country, it could take up to several weeks.

4. Offer promotional gifts at your table. People love free. Giving away promotional items at your table will not only catch people’s eye and bring them in, they serve as a great icebreaker that could potentially lead to a beneficial conversation.

5. Be prepared. Always make sure you have extra materials, brochures, promotional gifts and of course, business cards. You don’t want someone who is interested in you, your services or products, leaving empty handed.